I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to video games and toys, and in particular to a unique educational computer toy that allows an infant or very young child to easily control the progression of a simulated activity.
II. Description of Related Art
The ability of infants and very young children to learn through interaction with properly designed toys is widely recognized. The normal toys for this age group have included busy-boxes, musical toys, stuffed animals and the like. Computer toys for infants and very young children, however, are generally not available.
While computer games for older children (i.e. over two years of age) are widely marketed, they are generally not appropriate for infants or very young children. In action-type computer games, for example, the player must perform quick, dexterous actions in response to sudden events occurring on-screen. These events occur at times and in a manner determined by the computer, with the tempo and the character of the events intensifying to the point that a very young child would become overwhelmed. In computer puzzle and word games the player must match wits with the computer or another player to such a degree that the educational background of a very young child would be insufficient.